July 12 2012, Samuel Cosby

It was another hectic day at the Rio as Day 2c of the 2012 World Series of Poker Main Event played out Wednesday alongside the televised final table of the WSOP National Championship final table. In the WSOP National Championship, Ryan Eriquezzo was able to outlast the other seven players and take home the bracelet and title. On Day 2c of the Main Event, Michael Hack was able to build up the biggest stack of the day, raking in 457,000, just behind the Day 2a/2b chip leader Gaelle Baumann, who bagged up 505,800. Bauman, Hack and nearly 1,760 other players will return Thursday to play Day 3 of the 2012 World Series of Poker Main Event.

World Series of Poker National Championship

The final eight players of the WSOP National Championship returned Wednesday to play down to a winner for ESPN cameras and fans. There were plenty of circuit grinders and notable players alike as some earned a freeroll into the event by winning a Main Event at a WSOP circuit stop or earning enough Player of the Year points on the Circuit, and some players who were on top of the Player of the Year list for the World Series of Poker over the last two years bought in for $10,000 directly. Among those at the final table were Sam Stein, David “ODB” Baker, Amanda Musumeci and Huy Nguyen. At the end of the day though, Ryan Eriquezzo emerged victorious, earning the title of World Series of Poker National Champion.

The day began quickly as Musumeci found herself crippled at the hands of Huy Nguyen who flopped two pair against Musumeci’s turned two pair and a flush draw. After that, Musumeci was extremely short-stacked and found herself looking for a good spot to get her chips in the middle. On her final hand, she moved all in over Baker’s opening raise with and found a call from Nikolas Stone in the big blind who held . The board ran out , and Musumeci exited the ESPN Main Stage in eighth place.

Next to go was Sam Stein, who found himself all-in with against Stone’s . The board of was no help to Stein, who made his way to the exit as the second elimination of the day.

David “ODB” Baker was the next to go when he got all of his chips in against Huy Nguyen. Baked moved all in from under the gun and was called by Nguyen in the hijack seat. The rest of the players folded, and Baker showed for over cards against Nguyen’s . After the flop fell, , Baker needed running clubs or straight cards to stay alive. He got a little sweat when the hit the turn. Unfortunately for Baker, the river was the pairing him, but it wasn’t enough for the double-up. He hit the rail in sixth place.

Start-of-the-day chip leader, Yung Hwang was the next to go. After finding himself short stacked, Hwang moved all-in preflop with and was called by Stone’s . The flop was disaster for Hwang when it fell giving him hope for only runner cards. The on the turn was one of them, but the on the river was not, and Hwang made his way out in fifth place.

After the players returned from the dinner break, Matt Keikoan was eliminated. In the hand, Stone made a raise under the gun, and Keikoan called from the button. The flop fell and Stone check-called a bet of 100,000, which brought the on the turn. Stone checked again, but put in a check-raise to 600,000 after Keikoan bet 200,000. Keikoan thought briefly before moving all in, and Stone called. Keikoan was holding for a flopped set, but Stone held the nuts with . Keikoan would need the board to pair to stay alive, but it didn’t when the fell on the river, and he made his exit in fourth place.

Huy Nguyen left the main stage in third place. On Nguyen’s final hand, Eriquezzo moved all in from the small blind, putting pressure on Nguyen, who quickly called for the remainder of his chips with . Eriquezzo held and needed to improve for the knockout, which he did on the flop. The turn was the offering no help to Nguyen, and the river was the . Nguyen was eliminated in third place for $186,265, leaving Eriquezzo and Stone heads-up.

Stone began with the chip lead, but Eriquezzo earned an early double-up to put himself in the lead. It was a battle back and forth from there, but Eriquezzo was finally able to seal the deal. On the last hand, Stone moved all in from the button with and was called by Eriquezzo who was holding . On the board, Stone picked up the lead. He held the lead through the turn, but lost it, and fell in second when Eriquezzo made a straight with the on the river. For his second-place finish, Stone collected $257,119, and Eriquezzo took home $416,051 for his victory.

2012 WSOP National Championship Results

The final table of the World Series of Poker National Championship will air of ESPN on Aug. 7.

Until that begins, you can check out all of our coverage from the event starting on Day 1, by checking out our live reporting blog.

2012 World Series of Poker Main Event: Day 2c

The 2,300 survivors from Day 1c returned Wednesday to see who would be making it to Day 3 and who would be going home empty handed. Plenty of players fell throughout the day and when the night came to a close, only 900 players remained. Several notables made it through the day including former 2010 November Niner Joseph Cheong and 2011 $25,000 Heads-Up Champion Jake Cody who finished the day as some of the chip leaders going into Day 3.

Some players who not to make it to Day 3 included Scott Clements, Jennifer Tilly, Ted Forrest, Noah Schwartz, David “Doc” Sands, Jeff Madsen, Blair Hinkle, Jennifer Harman, Michael Mizrachi and several former WSOP Main Event champions, including Joe Cada, Tom McEvoy, and Jamie Gold.

Two-time bracelet winner Andy Frankenberger was another player to hit the rail late in the day. On a flop, Frankenberger bet out. When action got to former Main Event Champion Johnny Chan, he put in a raise, to which Frankenberger responded by moving all in. Chan called and turned up , and Frankenberger was well ahead with . The on the turn kept Frankenberger in the lead, but the on the river sent Frankenberger home.

Frankenberger and Chan’s table also included Team PokerStars Online’s Randy Lew, as well as Lee Watkinson and Shannon Shorr. Lew suffered the same fate as Frankenberger and was eliminated by Chan. In his final hand, Lew made it 2,600 and several players made the call, before Chan made it 12,000 from the big blind. Lew took a moment before announcing he was all-in and only Chan made the call. Lew was holding but Chan had him crushed with . The board bricked for Lew and he also hit the rail. Chan finished the day with 194,400.

There are plenty of notable players moving on to Day 3 such as Sam Holden, Joseph Cheong, Ronnie Bardah, Ben Lamb, Antonio Esfandiari, and Marcel Luske.

John Juanda built a healthy stack during Day 2c. In one hand, Juanda was heads-up on the flop with 10,000 in chips in the middle. The flop read and Juanda bet 6,800, his opponent raised to 16,000, which he called to see the fall on the turn. Juanda checked, and his opponent bet 21,000 which he called again. On the river, both players opted to check. Juanda’s opponent showed for a flopped set, and Juanda mucked. Even in spite of that hand, Juanda will move onto Day 3 with 159,000 chips.

Joseph Cheong was also making moves on Day 2c. We managed to catch Cheong scoop a big pot late in the day that helped propel him among the chip leaders. With the board reading Cheong bet 4,300, which his opponent raised to 13,100. Cheong called and the river brought the . Cheong checked and his opponent bet out 29,000. Cheong thought for nearly three minutes, before his opponent called the clock on him. Thirty seconds into his time bank, Cheong announced he was all-in, which his opponent quickly called. “Nut flush,” Cheong said after the call showing . His opponent showed for an inferior flush, and Cheong moved to 262,000 in chips.

On Tap

Thursday, the remaining players from the three Day 2s will combine for the first time and continue play. The money bubble isn’t expected to burst until Friday. Action will begin at 1200 PDT (2000 BST), and players will be spread across the Brasilia, Amazon and Pavilion rooms in the Rio. Play is scheduled for five levels on Thursday.

To make sure you don’t miss any of the exciting action as history is made in the 2012 Main Event, make sure you check out the live reporting blog for all the updates.

Video of the Day

Today’s video of the day is Kristy Arnett’s The Straddle, where she once again takes a look at all of the behind the scenes action from the 2012 World Series of Poker. This week, Arnett takes part in a bottle-throwing contest, shows an interview with Ryan D’Angelo that hit the cutting room floor, and more.

Follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.

No comments yet. Be the first to post one!

July 10 2012, Brett Collson

PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker were back in the news on Tuesday. Are the two companies still working out a deal? We’re bringing you that story, plus an interview with Phil Ivey, in this edition of the Nightly Turbo.

In Case You Missed It

Day 1c of the World Series of Poker Main Event was the largest starting day in history. Find out who topped the leaderboard in our Day 44 WSOP recap.

Daniel Negreanu joined the PokerNews Podcast on Monday. Negreanu discussed how much fun he had on Day 1 of the Main Event, as well as several other topics.

How did Ben Lamb navigate the massive Main Event field last year? Lamb offered some advice in an interview with PokerNews’ Sarah Grant.

Actor Kevin Pollak is playing in his first WSOP Main Event. Chad Holloway caught up with Pollak to find out how he got his start in poker.

Wonder what it’s like to play poker with 30,000 people at Wembley Stadium? Find out how to enter the International Stadiums Poker Tour.

Looking for a fun, behind-the-scenes perspective of life at the WSOP? All Mucked Up has daily stories from inside the Rio, so check it out!

PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker Execs File Motions to Dismiss Civil Case

According to eGaming Review, PokerStars has filed a motion to dismiss civil charges filed against a number of the company’s subsidiaries last September.

PokerStars argues that the amended civil complaint invokes “shady dealings and far-reaching conspiracies” regarding PokerStars’ prior operations in the U.S. According to eGaming Review, PokerStars says the complaint suffers from three major flaws:

First, it does not provide adequate detail to satisfy the heightened pleading requirements applicable to civil forfeiture and fraud actions. This vagueness fails to do what pleading rules require: Let PokerStars know what it is alleged to have done wrong so that it can marshal its defense.

Second, the Complaint fails to state a legally viable theory of how PokerStars violated the Illegal Gambling Business Act, the wire- and bank-fraud statutes, and the money-laundering statutes.

Third, although the Government admits that PokerStars operated legally throughout the world – and has implicitly conceded that it has lawfully provided services in much of the United States – it seeks to seize all of PokerStars’ assets without showing that this Court has in rem jurisdiction over those assets and without attempting to separate PokerStars’ lawful income from the income that the Government alleges PokerStars earned through illegal activities.

eGR suggests that the filing could pose a threat to the pending discussions with the Department of Justice over the purchase of Full Tilt Poker. However, if the motion is approved by a federal judge, it could open the door for PokerStars to complete the takeover of its former competitor.

Meanwhile, as Ray Bitar’s attorneys were working out a bail package with federal prosecutors on Tuesday, three other members of the Full Tilt Poker board of directors filed motions to dismiss the civil charges brought against them by the Department of Justice.

Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson and Rafe Furst each filed motions to dismiss the amended civil charges claiming they defrauded players out of more than $300 million and operated “global Ponzi scheme.” The motions are based on two arguments. First, that the allegations that the men participated in a scheme to defraud FTP’s customers are nowhere to be found. And second, that Full Tilt Poker did not fall under the Illegal Gambling Business Act.

“The Government has not proven that the alleged ‘gambling business’ conducted by Full Tilt Poker is illegal in the place where that business is conducted,” states the filing.

Here’s an excerpt from Lederer’s motion to dismiss:

How, exactly, did he mislead players regarding their deposits and accounts? What did he say to them, and when did he say it? Was any information Lederer allegedly provided false when given, and if so, did Lederer know it? The government doesn’t say. The only specific factual allegations against Lederer are that he co-founded FTP and helped build it into a successful business, and that he received distributions as part-owner of the company. These allegations fail to state a fraud claim-or any claim-against Lederer.

Similar filings were submitted by Ferguson and Furst on Monday. A motion was also filed on behalf of Telamonian Ajax Trust, a bank account in Switzerland that was tied to Furst. The bank account was seized last September when the DOJ filed an amended civil complaint against the FTP board members.

For a closer look at the filings, check out dockets.justia.com.

A Chat With Phil Ivey

Phil Ivey isn’t the easiest guy to sit down for an interview. Trust us – we’ve tried many times this summer.

However, World Series of Poker Media Director Nolan Dalla was fortunate enough to have a one-on-one chat with the world’s greatest poker player last week. The interview was posted at WSOP.com on Tuesday. It was the first interview conducted with Ivey in three years.

Ivey spoke willingly with Dalla about his success – or lack thereof – during the 2012 WSOP. The 36-year-old made an astounding five final tables in 13 days last month, but fell short of a bracelet each time. What made it worse for Ivey was hearing about Phil Hellmuth winning bracelet No. 12, leaving Ivey four behind the “Poker Brat” for the all-time mark.

“I congratulated him,” Ivey said about Hellmuth’s 12th bracelet. “I was really impressed. He’s been playing very well this year. … Now, I have four more bracelets to go to catch him.”

Did Ivey’s runner-up finish on the same night give him any enjoyment? Not a chance.

“It’s all about winning,” Ivey said. “I don’t get any satisfaction from second place at all.”

Dalla’s interview with Ivey is a must-read for any poker fan. Check it out WSOP.com.

Cyprus Eliminates Online Poker

The small island country of Cyprus has passed a bill that prohibits online poker and most forms of gambling. The controversial decision was made because of concerns the nation was losing billions of pounds in tax revenues each year to offshore betting sites.

The bill was approved by the House of Representatives Legal Affairs Committee last week before advancing through a full parliamentary vote on Friday. The bill prevents betting companies from offering all forms of gambling other than sports betting, which has been regulated with a 10 percent tax levy on operators.

Online betting company Betfair is considering legal action against Cyprus, arguing that the new bill is in violation of European Union law. Betfair claims that it generated approximately 4 percent of its revenue from Cyprus last year, accounting for approximately £9 million in revenues before allocation of central costs.

“Betfair is working with advisors to understand the potential implications on its business and will be taking all necessary steps to reduce the impact on profitability through both legal action and cost management,” the company said in a statement.

OPAP, the national lottery operator in Cyprus, will be exempt from all of the new laws. The organization will continue to operate games of chance because of a bilateral agreement between Greece and Cyprus.

Read more at iGaming Business.

Online Poker Traffic Report

PokerScout.com released its weekly online poker traffic rankings on Monday. The tracking site reported an overall increase of 1.7 percent, marking the second straight week of growth worldwide.

PokerScout reported a big week for the top 10 sites, six of which gained at least 5 percent traffic over the previous week. PokerStars claimed the top spot by a wide margin over PartyPoker and the iPoker Network, which landed at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. 888poker and the Ongame Network rounded out the top five.

The battle between the Merge Gaming Network and Revolution Gaming continued this week, with Revolution surging past Merge and the Microgaming Network for ninth place in the rankings. Revolution has grown rapidly since Lock Poker defected from Merge and re-branded the Cake Poker Network, and is now contending with PokerStars.fr for No. 8 worldwide.

As for year-over-year numbers, online poker traffic (excluding Italy) has decreased by 15 percent in the last year. Each of the Big Three (PokerStars, iPoker and PartyPoker) are down since this time last year, but Revolution Gaming (up 29%) Bodog/Bovada (up 16%) and Winamax.fr (up 14%) have seen significant growth. The International Poker Network (down 57%), Everest Poker (down 41%) and PKR (down 27%) have seen the biggest dropoff since last July.

Read the full report at PokerScout.com.

Calling The Clock

PokerNews’ Sarah Grant caught up with Team Bodog Pro Jay Tan for the latest edition of Calling the Clock.

Follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.

Follow Brett Collson on

No comments yet. Be the first to post one!